Herald section
The latest politics reporting from The Belfast Herald.
The 1922 Committee chair confirmed the threshold for a leadership confidence vote was met, triggering a secret ballot. The vote will be held in person and counted immediately after.
Former Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud won a non-consecutive term in the third round of voting, ending a prolonged electoral delay caused by government infighting.
Irish republican party Sinn Féin win the most seats in the Northern Ireland Assembly with 29% of the first-preference vote, marking the first time that a unionist party did not win the most seats since Northern Ireland's establishment in 1921.
Health Minister Robin Swann confirms most people in Northern Ireland will lose eligibility for free COVID testing from 22 April, with lateral flow tests continuing only for those with symptoms. Routine contact tracing is to be phased out between mid-April and June.
Protesters in Sofia opposed Bulgaria's potential sale of weapons to Ukraine and criticized U.S. defense secretary Lloyd Austin's visit. The demonstration occurred during a meeting between Austin and Bulgarian Prime Minister Kiril Petkov.
Ottawa mayor Jim Watson declares a state of emergency due to ongoing trucker protests against vaccine mandates, with demonstrations spreading across Canada and overwhelming local law enforcement.
Armenian President Armen Sarkissian resigned on 23 January 2022, stating the constitution does not grant him sufficient influence over national decision-making. He cited the lack of appropriate tools in the Basic Law as the reason for stepping down.
Naomi Long has rejected a proposal to assign her department responsibility for increasing face covering compliance to 80% or higher, calling the idea highly inappropriate. She cited lack of enforcement powers and inconsistent messaging across government departments as key concerns.
